1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for drilling with top drive systems. Particularly, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for adapting a top drive for use with running casing. More particularly still, the invention relates to a top drive system having a torque head and a casing feeder adapted to feed the casing into the torque head.
2. Description of the Related Art
In well completion operations, a wellbore is formed to access hydrocarbon-bearing formations by the use of drilling. Drilling is accomplished by utilizing a drill bit that is mounted on the end of a drill support member, commonly known as a drill string. To drill within the wellbore to a predetermined depth, the drill string is often rotated by a top drive or rotary table on a surface platform or rig, or by a downhole motor mounted towards the lower end of the drill string. After drilling to a predetermined depth, the drill string and drill bit are removed and a section of casing is lowered into the wellbore. An annular area is thus formed between the string of casing and the formation. The casing string is temporarily hung from the surface of the well. A cementing operation is then conducted in order to fill the annular area with cement. Using apparatus known in the art, the casing string is cemented into the wellbore by circulating cement into the annular area defined between the outer wall of the casing and the borehole. The combination of cement and casing strengthens the wellbore and facilitates the isolation of certain areas of the formation behind the casing for the production of hydrocarbons.
It is common to employ more than one string of casing in a wellbore. In this respect, one conventional method to complete a well includes drilling to a first designated depth with a drill bit on a drill string. Then, the drill string is removed and a first string of casing is run into the wellbore and set in the drilled out portion of the wellbore. Cement is circulated into the annulus behind the casing string and allowed to cure. Next, the well is drilled to a second designated depth, and a second string of casing, or liner, is run into the drilled out portion of the wellbore. The second string is set at a depth such that the upper portion of the second string of casing overlaps the lower portion of the first string of casing. The second string is then fixed, or “hung” off of the existing casing by the use of slips which utilize slip members and cones to wedgingly fix the second string of casing in the wellbore. The second casing string is then cemented. This process is typically repeated with additional casing strings until the well has been drilled to a desired depth. Therefore, two run-ins into the wellbore are required per casing string to is set the casing into the wellbore. In this manner, wells are typically formed with two or more strings of casing of an ever-decreasing diameter.
As more casing strings are set in the wellbore, the casing strings become progressively smaller in diameter in order to fit within the previous casing string. In a drilling operation, the drill bit for drilling to the next predetermined depth must thus become progressively smaller as the diameter of each casing string decreases in order to fit within the previous casing string. Therefore, multiple drill bits of different sizes are ordinarily necessary for drilling in well completion operations.
Another method of performing well completion operations involves drilling with casing, as opposed to the first method of drilling and then setting the casing. In this method, the casing string is run into the wellbore along with a drill bit for drilling the subsequent, smaller diameter hole located in the interior of the existing casing string. The drill bit is operated by rotation of the drill string from the surface of the wellbore. Once the borehole is formed, the attached casing string may be cemented in the borehole. The drill bit is either removed or destroyed by the drilling of a subsequent borehole. The subsequent borehole may be drilled by a second working string comprising a second drill bit disposed at the end of a second casing that is of sufficient size to line the wall of the borehole formed. The second drill bit should be smaller than the first drill bit so that it fits within the existing casing string. In this respect, this method requires at least one run-in into the wellbore per casing string that is set into the wellbore.
It is known in the industry to use top drive systems to rotate a drill string to form a borehole. Top drive systems are equipped with a motor to provide torque for rotating the drilling string. The quill of the top drive is typically threadedly connected to an upper end of the drill pipe in order to transmit torque to the drill pipe. Top drives may also be used in a drilling with casing operation to rotate the casing.
In order to drill with casing, most existing top drives require a threaded crossover adapter to connect to the casing. This is because the quill of the top drive is not sized to connect with the threads of the casing. The crossover adapter is design to alleviate this problem. Typically, one end of the crossover adapter is designed to connect with the quill, while the other end is designed to connect with the casing.
However, the process of threadedly connecting and disconnecting a casing is time consuming. For example, each time a new casing is added, the casing string must be disconnected from the crossover adapter. Thereafter, the crossover must be threaded into the new casing before the casing string may be run. Furthermore, this process also increases the likelihood of damage to the threads, thereby increasing the potential for downtime.
More recently, top drive adapters has been developed to facilitate the casing running process. Top drive adapters that grip the external portion of the casing are generally known as torque heads, while adapters that grip the internal portion of the casing are generally known as spears. An exemplary torque head is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/850,347, entitled Casing Running Head, which application was filed on May 20, 2004 by the same inventor of the present application. An exemplary spear is disclosed in U.S. patent application Publication No. 2005/0051343, by Pietras, et. al. These applications are assigned to the assignee of the present application and are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
One of the challenges of running casing using a top drive adapter is positioning the casing for engagement with the top drive adapter. To engage the casing, the top drive adapter must be lowered relative to the casing, or the casing must be raised relative to the top drive adapter.
There is a need, therefore, for methods and apparatus for positioning a casing for handling by a top drive adapter during casing running operations. There is a further need for methods and apparatus for running casing with a top drive in an efficient manner.